’I failed to realise how important marketing is’

A wiser Sunny Deol talks about how the success of Yamla Pagla Deewana has taught him the power of promotion. The family plans to release a sequel to the film every two years

'I failed to realise how important marketing is'

A wiser Sunny Deol talks about how the success of Yamla Pagla Deewana has taught him the power of promotion. The family plans to release a sequel to the film every two years

After Salman Khan's Dabangg franchise and the Ajay Devgn Gol Maal series, the Deols have decided to produce at least one sequel to Yamla Pagla Deewana every two years.

Sunny Deol with father Dharmendra and brother Bobby Deol in
a still from Yamla Pagla Deewana

It's being seen as an effort to use the family name to consolidate the Deol brand, bringingu00a0 it on par with the Khans. The recent success of the film has given their confidence a shot in the arm.

Besides, Sunny Deol is planning to return to action films, his forte. A close friend of Deol says, "Sunny has quietly watched the thunder stolen from his family. He has now decided to take over the reins of his production house. Besides Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, which will be titled, Trouble Shrouble, Sunny is planning another action film."

Deol admits he is getting into shape. "I hope to receive an unusual script, something different from what I have taken on so far, and what other actors have taken on recently," says Deol, who wants to wrap up the film this year, since his "fans are dying to see him."

Deol looks relieved with YPD's success, a film that he devoted a whole year to. "Initially, we had planned to have just Bobby (Deol) and me in the cast. Then we roped in my father. When I cameu00a0 up with the idea, I knew fans would love to see papa (Dharmendra) and us in a comedy. We wanted to make people smile without resorting to crudity."

A candid Deol admits that he didn't keep up with the changing trends of the Hindi film industry. "I failed to realise how important marketing and promotions are. I was wrong. Promotion is likeu00a0 the tail of an elephant. The film is the elephant, marketing is the tail. Both have to get through the door," says Deol.

Although he thinks his last release, Right Ya Wrong, was a good film, it failed on the promotion front.
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Interestingly, directors like Rahul Rawail, Raj Kumar Santoshi and Gurinder Chadha started their career with the Deol home banner. "We've nurtured new directorial talent. But if they don't want to work with us later, how can we force them? Santoshi and I tried to get together again, but after Ajab Prem Ki... he disappeared. Relations in the industry change every Friday," he says.

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